started--that is, zero."

"Ah, yes, I see now," cried Jack, whilst he traced a diagram on the
ground. "Poor Peter has always stopped in the middle of each
profession and gone back to the starting point of another, thus
passing his life in making zig-zags, and only moving from one zero to
another."

"Exactly," added Wolston: "whilst those who persevered in following up
the profession they chose at first finally succeeded in attaining a
position, and that simply by adhering to a straight line."

Here Fritz and his mother arrived, arm in arm.

"Ha! there you are," cried Ernest. "We were on our way to meet you."

"You surely do not call sitting down there being on your way to meet
us, do you?"

"Well, yes, mother," suggested Jack, "on the principle that two bodies
coming into contact meet each other."

Like those flowers that droop during a storm, but recover their
brilliancy with the first rays of the sun, so a few days more sufficed
to restore Mary Wolston to better health than she had ever enjoyed in
her life before. Some months now elapsed without giving rise to any
event of note. All the men, women, and children in the colony had been
busily employed from early morn to late at e'en. No sooner had one
field been sown than there was another to plant; then came the grain
harvest and its hard but healthy toil; next, much to the delight of
Willis, herrings appeared on the coast, followed by their attendant
demons, the sea-dogs; salmon-fishing, hunting ortolans, the foundries
and manufactories, likewise exacted a portion of their time.
Frequently parties were occupied for weeks together in the remote
districts; so that, with the exception of one day each week--the
Sabbath--the two families had of late been rarely assembled together
in one spot.

The hope of ever again beholding the _Nelson_ had gradually ceased to
be entertained by anybody. Like an echo that resounds from rock to
rock until it is lost in the distance, this hope had died away in
their breasts. Willis nevertheless continued to keep the beacon on
Shark's Island alight; but he regarded it more as a sepulchral lamp in
commemoration of the dead, than as a signal for the living.

One morning, the break of day was announced by a cannon-shot. All
instantly started on their feet and gazed inquiringly in each other's
faces. One thing forced itself upon all their thoughts--daybreak
generally arrives without noise; it is not accustomed to announce
itself with